The DOI matches its Crossref record; 40 of the 40 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Neural correlates of self-reflection
Abstract
The capacity to reflect on one's sense of self is an important component of self-awareness. In this paper, we investigate some of the neurocognitive processes underlying reflection on the self using functional MRI. Eleven healthy volunteers were scanned with echoplanar imaging using the blood oxygen level-dependent contrast method. The task consisted of aurally delivered statements requiring a yes-no decision. In the experimental condition, participants responded to a variety of statements requiring knowledge of and reflection on their own abilities, traits and attitudes (e.g. 'I forget important things', 'I'm a good friend', 'I have a quick temper'). In the control condition, participants responded to statements requiring a basic level of semantic knowledge (e.g. 'Ten seconds is more than a minute', 'You need water to live'). The latter condition was intended to control for auditory comprehension, attentional demands, decision-making, the motoric response, and any common retrieval processes. Individual analyses revealed consistent anterior medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate activation for all participants. The overall activity for the group, using a random-effects model, occurred in anterior medial prefrontal cortex (t = 13.0, corrected P = 0.05; x, y, z, 0, 54, 8, respectively) and the posterior cingulate (t = 14.7, P = 0.02; x, y, z, -2, -62, 32, respectively; 967 voxel extent). These data are consistent with lesion studies of impaired awareness, and suggest that the medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortex are part of a neural system subserving self-reflective thought.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“functional MRI (fMRI) tasks tapping into self-referential cognition activate overlapping brain regions as those modulated by meditation, including the insula, prefrontal cortex (PFC), cingulum and amygdala.22–24”
From Distinct and shared therapeutic neural mechanisms of mindfulness-based and social support stress reduction groups in adults with autism spectrum disorder (2023) · cites this paper as [23]
In the citing paper
“Self-reflection and self-imagery activate the ventral part of the posterior cingulate cortex (the part with which we will be mainly concerned here) (Kircher et al., 2000, 2002; Johnson et al., 2002; Sugiura et al., 2005).”
From The orbitofrontal cortex: reward, emotion and depression (2020) · cites this paper as Johnson et al., 2002
In the citing paper
“Consistent with earlier studies (15-18), a single region was obtained from the random effects contrast of self > other trials located in vMPFC (Fig. 1).”
From Repetition suppression of ventromedial prefrontal activity during judgments of self and others (2008) · cites this paper as [18]
In the citing paper
“Critically, this vMPFC region also has been observed repeatedly during tasks that require participants to introspect about their own mental experiences (15-18)”
From Repetition suppression of ventromedial prefrontal activity during judgments of self and others (2008) · cites this paper as [18]
In the citing paper
“Using two different sets of contrasts, we identified ROIs in vMPFC that, consistent with earlier studies of self-reference (15-18), responded preferentially during trials that required introspection about one's own mental characteristics.”
From Repetition suppression of ventromedial prefrontal activity during judgments of self and others (2008) · cites this paper as [18]
In the citing paper
“Relative to negative valence, positive valence yields more consistent processing in the PCC, accumbens, and lateral occipital cortex, suggesting a link between the limbic-motor interface that allows approach to incentive-based stimuli (Depue and Collins, 1999) and the facilitation of self-referential cognitive activity that is mediated by the PCC (Johnson et al., 2002; Kelley et al., 2002).”
From Neural networks involved in adolescent reward processing: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies (2015) · cites this paper as Johnson et al., 2002
Citations
Cites
Statistical parametric maps in functional imaging: A general linear approach
Friston, K. J., Holmes, A. P., Worsley, K. J., Poline, J. ‐., Frith, C. D., & Frackowiak, R. S. J. (1994) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.460020402 · Cited by 9,688
Gusnard, D. A., Akbudak, E., Shulman, G. L., & Raichle, M. E. (2001) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.071043098 · Cited by 2,997
Metabolic reduction in the posterior cingulate cortex in very early Alzheimer's disease
Minoshima, S., Giordani, B., Berent, S., Frey, K. A., Foster, N. L., & Kuhl, D. E. (1997) · Annals of Neurology · doi:10.1002/ana.410420114 · Cited by 1,802
Interacting Minds--A Biological Basis
Frith, C. D., & Frith, U. (1999) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.286.5445.1692 · Cited by 1,714
Frontal Lobe Contributions to Theory of Mind
Stone, V. E., Baron-Cohen, S., & Knight, R. T. (1998) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/089892998562942 · Cited by 1,524
Other minds in the brain: a functional imaging study of “theory of mind” in story comprehension.
Fletcher, P. (1995) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/0010-0277(95)00692-r · Cited by 1,522
Principles of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology
(2000) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780195134759.001.0001 · Cited by 1,448
Reiman, E. M., Caselli, R. J., Yun, L. S., Chen, K., Bandy, D., Minoshima, S., Thibodeau, S. N., & Osborne, D. (1996) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejm199603213341202 · Cited by 1,366
DAMASIO, A. (1990) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/0166-4328(90)90144-4 · Cited by 1,275
Morris, R. E., Dollard, J., & Miller, N. E. (1951) · The American Catholic Sociological Review · doi:10.2307/3707808 · Cited by 1,226
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 101–133 of 133
Neural systems of social comparison and the “above-average” effect
Beer, J. S., & Hughes, B. L. (2010) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.10.075 · Cited by 131
Goldin, P., Ziv, M., Jazaieri, H., & Gross, J. J. (2012) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2012.00295 · Cited by 128
Contextual Processing in Episodic Future Thought
Szpunar, K. K., Chan, J. C. K., & McDermott, K. B. (2009) · Cerebral Cortex · doi:10.1093/cercor/bhn191 · Cited by 132
Current directions in social cognitive neuroscience
Ochsner, K. N. (2004) · Current Opinion in Neurobiology · doi:10.1016/j.conb.2004.03.011 · Cited by 127
Kalisch, R., & Gerlicher, A. M. V. (2014) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.02.002 · Cited by 118
Taking perspective into account in a communicative task
Dumontheil, I., Küster, O., Apperly, I. A., & Blakemore, S.-J. (2010) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.05.056 · Cited by 111
Murdaugh, D. L., Shinkareva, S. V., Deshpande, H. R., Wang, J., Pennick, M. R., & Kana, R. K. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050064 · Cited by 114
Reduced functional coupling in the default-mode network during self-referential processing
van Buuren, M., Gladwin, T. E., Zandbelt, B. B., Kahn, R. S., & Vink, M. (2010) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.20920 · Cited by 115
A shared representation of the space near oneself and others in the human premotor cortex
Brozzoli, C., Gentile, G., Bergouignan, L., & Ehrsson, H. H. (2013) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.07.004 · Cited by 110
Extended self: medial prefrontal activity during transient association of self and objects
Kim, K., & Johnson, M. K. (2012) · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience · doi:10.1093/scan/nsq096 · Cited by 104
Subjective mental time: the functional architecture of projecting the self to past and future
Arzy, S., Collette, S., Ionta, S., Fornari, E., & Blanke, O. (2009) · European Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1111/j.1460-9568.2009.06974.x · Cited by 104
Neural mechanisms of dissonance: An fMRI investigation of choice justification
Kitayama, S., Chua, H. F., Tompson, S., & Han, S. (2013) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.11.034 · Cited by 98
The precuneus and the insula in self-attributional processes
Cabanis, M., Pyka, M., Mehl, S., Müller, B. W., Loos-Jankowiak, S., Winterer, G., Wölwer, W., Musso, F., Klingberg, S., Rapp, A. M., et al. (2013) · Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3758/s13415-012-0143-5 · Cited by 97
Brain circuits implicated in psychogenic paralysis in conversion disorders and hypnosis
Vuilleumier, P. (2014) · Neurophysiologie Clinique/Clinical Neurophysiology · doi:10.1016/j.neucli.2014.01.003 · Cited by 82
More Realistic Forecasting of Future Life Events After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Lyons, T., & Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01721 · Cited by 77
Shi, Y., Li, J., Feng, Z., Xie, H., Duan, J., Chen, F., & Yang, H. (2020) · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109759 · Cited by 56
A Neurocognitive and Socioecological Model of Self-Awareness
Morin, A. (2004) · Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs · doi:10.3200/mono.130.3.197-224 · Cited by 59
Morita, T., Kosaka, H., Saito, D. N., Ishitobi, M., Munesue, T., Itakura, S., Omori, M., Okazawa, H., Wada, Y., & Sadato, N. (2012) · Social Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/17470919.2011.598945 · Cited by 52
Neural activity associated with self-reflection
Herwig, U., Kaffenberger, T., Schell, C., Jäncke, L., & Brühl, A. B. (2012) · BMC Neuroscience · doi:10.1186/1471-2202-13-52 · Cited by 50
Neural basis of negativity bias in the perception of ambiguous facial expression
Ito, T., Yokokawa, K., Yahata, N., Isato, A., Suhara, T., & Yamada, M. (2017) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-00502-3 · Cited by 45
Self-referential processing influences functional activation during cognitive control: An fMRI study
Wagner, G., Koch, K., Schachtzabel, C., Peikert, G., Schultz, C. C., Reichenbach, J. R., Sauer, H., & Schlösser, R. G. (2013) · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience · doi:10.1093/scan/nss074 · Cited by 47
Jones, R., & Bhattacharya, J. (2014) · NeuroImage: Clinical · doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2013.11.008 · Cited by 43
Raghanti, M. A., Spocter, M. A., Stimpson, C. D., Erwin, J. M., Bonar, C. J., Allman, J. M., Hof, P. R., & Sherwood, C. C. (2009) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.10.058 · Cited by 42
Medial prefrontal cortex: adding value to imagined scenarios
Lin, W.-J., Horner, A. J., Bisby, J. A., & Burgess, N. (2015) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/jocn_a_00836 · Cited by 40
Self-Esteem Modulates the Time Course of Self-Positivity Bias in Explicit Self-Evaluation
Zhang, H., Guan, L., Qi, M., & Yang, J. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0081169 · Cited by 39
Perspective: causes and functional significance of temporal variations in attention control
Lenartowicz, A., Simpson, G. V., & Cohen, M. S. (2013) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00381 · Cited by 38
Self-esteem modulates dorsal anterior cingulate cortical response in self-referential processing
Yang, J., Dedovic, K., Chen, W., & Zhang, Q. (2012) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.02.010 · Cited by 38
Yoon, H.-J., Kim, J. S., Shin, Y.-B., Choi, S.-H., Lee, S.-K., & Kim, J.-J. (2016) · Neuroscience Letters · doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2016.05.068 · Cited by 30
Milak, M. S., Keilp, J., Parsey, R. V., Oquendo, M. A., Malone, K. M., & Mann, J. J. (2010) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2010.03.002 · Cited by 28
Pagni, B. A., Hill, E., Walsh, M. J. M., Delaney, S., Ogbeama, D., Monahan, L., Cook, J. R., Guerithault, N., Dixon, M. V., Ballard, L., et al. (2023) · Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience · doi:10.1503/jpn.220159 · Cited by 20
Mäki-Marttunen, V., Castro, M., Olmos, L., Leiguarda, R., & Villarreal, M. (2016) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.01.022 · Cited by 13
Adolescent internet gaming disorder and sensitivity to money and social rewards
Wang, Y., Li, Y., Liu, B., Zhao, X., Geng, X., Zhu, W., & Ding, X. (2024) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104431 · Cited by 13
Fish self-awareness: limits of current knowledge and theoretical expectations
Hubená, P., Horký, P., & Slavík, O. (2022) · Animal Cognition · doi:10.1007/s10071-021-01566-5 · Cited by 8
Metadata
- Authors
- Johnson, S. C.
- Affiliations
- Barrow Neurological Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Johnson, S. C.
- ORCID
- Johnson, S. C.
- Venue
- Brain
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2002-08-01
- Volume
- 125
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1808-1814
- ISSN
- 0006-8950 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2156
- OpenAlex
- W2141183879
- Cited by
- 930
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 38 · 2014: 50 · 2013: 48 · 2012: 65
- FWCI
- 42.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Brain (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (1r03ag018540-01)
- National Institute on Aging (AG18540)
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH065723, MH65723)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Philosophy and Theoretical Science
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
- Keywords
- self-reflection, self-awareness, self-knowledge, anterior medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, neural correlates, self-referential processing, impaired awareness, BOLD fMRI
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Brain, Brain Mapping, Cognition, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Neurons, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Behavior, Thinking
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
